Casing pipe is used to protect a device and/or set a boundary in a wellbore that has been drilled or otherwise created in a subterranean formation. An example of casing pipe used for protection is when electric cables (e.g., power cables, fiber optic cables) are run underground through the wellbore. In such a case, the casing pipe acts as a conduit for the cables. Another example of casing pipe used for protection is when pipes (e.g., water lines, gas lines) are run underground through the wellbore. In such a case, the casing pipe acts as a protective casing for the pipes. An example of casing pipe used as a boundary is when the wellbore is being prepared for extraction of one or more materials (e.g., oil, natural gas, water, steam) from the subterranean formation.
A majority of wellbores that are created in subterranean formations have some degree of curvature along one or more portions of the wellbore. In some cases, the wellbore (or a portion thereof) has a curvature that is too severe for casing pipe to be run into the wellbore. Specifically, when the curvature of the wellbore is too great, the side load that the walls of the wellbore apply to the casing pipe is so high that the casing pipe cannot be run into the wellbore. In such a case, so much torque and drag can be created by the side walls of the wellbore on the casing pipe that the casing pipe can become stuck in the wellbore at a point above where the casing pipe is targeted to be placed in the wellbore.